Crime Roundup: Man charged with murder of Donegal woman

Our early January Crime roundup leads with a man charged with the murder of a Donegal woman, and a councillor condemns the attempted robbery of a north Belfast shop in which an assistant was allegedly ‘threatened with acid’.

Co Donegal murder

A 27-year-old man was remanded in custody until 11 January after being charged with the murder of a woman in Co Donegal on 04 January.

The body of Jasmine McMonagle was found by gardaí at a house in Forest Park, Killygordon on Friday morning.

The man arrested by gardaí appeared before a special sitting of Sligo District Court on 05 January charged in connection with the case.

Richard Burke of Forest Park, Killygordan will next appear before Harristown Court next Friday.

Shop assistant ‘threatened with acid’

A North Belfast Councillor has condemned an attempted robbery of a shop in which an assistant was allegedly ‘threatened with acid’.

The incident took place at a store on the Oldpark Road in the city around 7.15 on 05 January.

Sinn Féin Councillor JJ Magee it was an ‘extremely worrying’ incident and ‘undoubtedly traumatic’ for the shop assistant:

“The man threatened her with a bottle that he claimed contained acid and she showed incredible bravery to throw items at him, forcing him to flee empty-handed. Obviously this attempted robbery is to be condemned and I would urge anyone with information about the assailant to bring it to the PSNI.”

Three men were arrested and some cocaine plants were seized after a search of two houses in the townland of Killasser, Swinford, Co Mayo on Saturday 5th January.

Gardaí said the searches were part of ‘ongoing operations’ by the Mayo Divisional Drugs Unit ‘targeting the sale and supply of controlled drugs in the Mayo Division’.

The Cocaine plants had an estimated street value of over €300,000.

Gardaí said three men were arrested at the scene in connection with this investigation.

Attempted ATM Robbery in Tyrone

The PSNI have appealed for witnesses after an attempt to take out a built-in cash machine from an outside wall of a Spar shop in Omagh, Co Tyrone on 06 January.

It is understood a digger, stolen from a nearby building site, was used in the attempt and was then set on fire at the Old Mountfield store at about 4am.

The PSNI has appealed for information.

Arrests after suspected stolen car rams PSNI car in Co Derry

The PSNI released two teenagers who had earlier been arrested on ‘suspicion of a number of motoring offences’ following an incident in Limavady, Co Derry on Friday 04 January.

The PSNI said around 8pm, a suspected stolen Vauxhall Zafira had failed to stop for police when signalled to do so and later, on Main Street, the Zafira rammed the police car in an attempt to make off.

Police said one officer sustained ‘non-life threatening injuries’ as a result of the collision, and the driver of the car was arrested by police at the scene.

Police said two teenage boys fled the scene, but later a boy was arrested in Derry City.

The two boys were released on 06 January pending further enquiries.

PSNI Inspector Mullan said he is appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident or anyone with any information that can assist with the investigation to contact officers in Limavady on 101 quoting reference 1142 04/01/19.

Inside Ireland

Inside Ireland is a not-for-profit news outlet covering local stories
affecting communities in Ireland. Its contributors come from all over Ireland and
are hobbyist and professional journalists, chronicling stories from all
four corners of the island.